


Holiday Greetings

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Holidays, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 12:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holiday greetings come in many forms, particularly around 221B Baker Street.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holiday Greetings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tanith_13, in response to the following prompt: **I do love holiday fics**
> 
> Warnings: References to various kinds of family dysfunction.

  
  
  
Holiday greetings are traditional, whether they are expressed by cards, by ritual phrases, or by oft-repeated melodic meanderings on the subject.

It should surprise no one, then, that the residents of 221B Baker Street give, and receive, holiday greetings that are the very opposite of traditional.

 

 

 **From** : John Watson  
 **To** : Greg Lestrade  
 **Greeting** : A card featuring a traditionally-dressed Father Christmas in the classic pat-down pose, being frisked by two constables, with the caption: “Oh sure, you’re a jolly old elf, and I’m Mother Teresa. You’re looking at 5 to 10 for B&E, ‘Nick’!” Inside, a simple handwritten message: “Wishing you and yours all the best, and hopefully no cases like this in the new year. John.”

 **From** : the Lestrade family  
 **To** : John Watson and Sherlock Holmes  
 **Greeting** : A tasteful card featuring a winter snow scene, and inside, a pre-printed message in a loopy, pseudo-cursive font: “Wishing you all the joy and peace of the season, the Lestrades.” Beneath it, in a handwritten scrawl: “Actually, skip the peace; I know Sherlock hates it. But let’s also skip the theft, pickpocketing, hassling witnesses, ‘borrowing’ evidence, and other, less forgivable offenses for the rest of the month, yeah? Ta, Greg.”

 **From** : Mrs. Hudson  
 **To** : John and Sherlock  
 **Greeting** : A printed tin featuring a picture of Mrs. Claus in the middle of a busy workshop, looking at a napping Santa Claus, with a thought bubble reading “Oh sure, he works one day all year, and _he’s_ the one who gets all the credit!” Inside the tin, a dark-brown cake, and a note: “Not your housekeeper, dears, but I thought you might like this. It’s called Death by Chocolate. Don’t eat it all at once, or you’ll find out why! Now don’t forget to look after my houseplants while I’m away! Love, Mrs. Hudson.”

 **From** : John Watson (and Sherlock Holmes)  
 **To** : Mrs. Hudson  
 **Greeting** : a gift card to the local garden centre, with a message on its paper holder: “Just in case we manage to forget to take care of the plants. If we actually remember, you can use this to buy them some more friends. Have fun, and hurry back – we miss you already (yes, even Sherlock, even if he won’t admit it, the great berk.) Love, John (and Sherlock, I used his card, not that he didn’t know)

 **From** : Molly Hooper  
 **To** : Sherlock Holmes  
 **Greeting** : A hand-crafted e-card featuring a picture of a kitten inexpertly Photoshopped to sit on top of a corpse in an autopsy room, with the caption: “Who, me? I’m innocent!” and the attached message: “I’m sure you can figure out what actually killed the man just from the photo. Email me, and I’ll tell you if you were right, or you can just share your answer at the holiday party (I assume you’ll be there, yeah, since John is hosting it?). Happy Christmas, from Molly.”

 **To** : Mycroft Holmes  
 **From** : Sherlock Holmes  
 **Greeting** : A simple text message: _You haven’t been entirely intolerable this year. Do keep up the good work. --SH_

 **To** : Sherlock Holmes  
 **From** : Mycroft Holmes  
 **Greeting** : A simple text message: _Happy Christmas to you too, Sherlock. Mummy expects us at eight. Do try to be punctual, and I’ll have you back before your flatmate’s little ‘holiday party’ on the morrow. Expect the usual car. -- MH_

 **To** : Inspector Anderson  
 **From** : putatively anonymous  
 **Greeting** : a group of hired carollers singing “God Rest Ye Merry Anderson,” with other ‘suitable’ changes of lyric, under his residence window at 3 a.m.. (Anderson naturally accused Sherlock, and in so doing, missed the half-gleeful, half-guilty looks exchanged by Greg and John. Sally didn’t, but she kept her own counsel on the matter.)

 **To** : Harry Watson  
 **From** : John Watson  
 **Greeting** : A brief email, stating “I hope you’re having fun on holiday. Maybe we’ll visit when you get back? Love, John.”

 **To** : John Watson  
 **From** : Harry Watson  
 **Greeting** : A postcard showing various tropical scenes, with “Wish You Were Here” blazoned across them in large yellow type. On the reverse, the address, and a scrawled message:  “Actually no I don’t want you here, you’d be dreadfully in the way. But you should try going on holiday sometime, Johnny; it’s fun!  Having a blast, Harry.”

 **To** : John Watson  
 **From** : Sherlock Holmes  
 **Greeting** : a comment on John’s general holiday greetings entry on his blog, stating: “I believe it is traditional for flatmates to exchange some message or token of goodwill in the spirit of the season. So, Happy Christmas, John.”

 **To** : Sherlock Holmes  
 **From** : John Watson  
 **Greeting** : a reply comment to the above: “It’s also traditional for flatmates to actually be physically on hand for the opening of presents. So stop sulking in Mrs. Hudson’s flat and get up here. There are two packages with your name on them. Happy Christmas.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted December 18, 2012


End file.
